the little things [daisypaw]

[Coldsnap]

IM SCARED TO GET CLOSE AND I HATE BEING ALONE
I LONG FOR THE FEELING TO NOT FEEL AT ALL
THE HIGHER I GET, THE LOWER I SINK
I CAN'T DROWN MY DEMONS, THEY KNOW HOW TO SWIM

---

Coldsnap had never really thought to much about becoming a mentor. It was something he'd known would inevitably happen, but there'd been so much going on that he hadn't stopped to consider that Sootstar would be giving him one any time soon. After all, he was the former apprentice of an exiled cat and a known ally to many of the cats that would have been considered 'too soft' for Windclan -most of whom had gotten themselves exiled by now. He had half-expected Soot to give the newly joined rogues the next batch of 'paws' to come of age, but that hadn't been the case.

In all honesty he didn't know the first thing about kids or how to act around them, but he did know how to train. Besides, he could follow Hyacinths example by doing what she'd done with him. Stars, he wished she was there with him. His pride at having been deemed worthy to train another cat as soured somewhat by the fact that he couldn't share the moment with his former mentor. Maybe they even could have trained together like back in the day, only this time with their own apprentices in tow. Spiritpaw was surely getting old enough to take her full name soon; in another world where Hya had never been driven off, perhaps she too would have been given a new apprentice.

As the meeting was called to a close around them and cats began to wander off to deal with their individual chores and responsabilities, Coldsnap turned his yellow eyes to Daisypaw. "Alright Daisypaw, meetings over, time to go." he said as he got to his feet. "The snow is still pretty deep out there, but I want to take you to Outlook Rock so I can show you the territory." he explained as he began to head toward the camps exit.

He would probably have to walk ahead of her to cut a trail through the snow, and it would definitely be cold, but learning the territory was first day stuff and he wasn't taking her to each of the borders, just Outlook Rock. It'd be a good test to gauge her energy levels and determination, as she'd had the misfortunate of being apprenticed in the dead of winter when conditions were arguably the worst.

---

windclan warrior - male - 12 months - a large, dark grey tabby with yellow eyes​

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[daisypaw ! [inact.]]

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For the first meeting she had ever properly attended in her life, it was most definitely the longest. Coldsnap had told her that they would leave after it ended. There she had sat beside him, to the best of her ability (she was wiggly, clearly impatient, and looked anywhere but at Sootstar. It was uncertain if she had heard the rest of the meeting at all).

The meeting concluded. Cats began to disperse. Even still, she was trying to be patient, round green eyes fixed upon the tabby until he finally looked down at her. He stood up, and she was on her paws in a flash, an excited grin perched upon her maw. He called her Daisypaw. She was Daisypaw now, an apprentice!

Oh- oh- he was talking, and she should be listening. Daisypaw nodded intently. Outlook Rock. She was gonna see the territory! "'Kay!" she chirped. Coldsnap began to walk, and for a few pawsteps, she switched between walking alongside him and trotting to make up for the gap in stride.

It was then that it really hit her. She was leaving camp! She was gonna leave camp and learn to hunt and fight and be a warrior. With excitement surging through her veins, Daisypaw couldn't help herself. A shrill giggle drew itself from her as they hit the exit and the entrance to the moor, she bolted ahead. Just like that, she was outside.

The snow had been carved out by warriors come and gone, leaving a trail for her to follow. Even still, it wasn't long before her paws began to sink, at one point swallowing her leg entirely and sending her into a tumble. Her startled squeak was cut short as she fell into a drift.​

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[Coldsnap]

IM SCARED TO GET CLOSE AND I HATE BEING ALONE
I LONG FOR THE FEELING TO NOT FEEL AT ALL
THE HIGHER I GET, THE LOWER I SINK
I CAN'T DROWN MY DEMONS, THEY KNOW HOW TO SWIM

---

It wasn't difficult to tell that Daisypaw was eager to get started, and Coldsnap wouldn't have been surprised if the rest of the meeting had gone right over her head. He wasn't mad- not this time, at least. He understood what it was like to sit waiting for a teacher, after all. He was still young himself, living in the marsh group, when the violence and tension had began, eventually leading to the war that split the marsh group for good and created the clans. He'd never gotten a real mentor, not until he was six months old and living in Windclan, assigned to Hyacinthbreath. By then, after suffering the loss of his parents and the abandonment of his friends and siblings, Coldsnap had already trained himself, rough around the edges for sure, but as brutal and efficient as a paw his age without proper training could be.

Hyacinth had simple polished the edges of a blade he'd already forged for himself.

Of course, having a mentor had lost its appeal to him by the time he was actually given one, too long spent waiting and wanting something he couldn't have. Daisypaw wouldn't have to suffer in such a way though. He'd be there to help her figure things out, and hopefully she'd become a better cat than Cold ever would.

He did his best to hide the amused curl of his lips as they made their way out of camp, the shecat struggling to keep pace with him as they slipped through the tunnel and out onto the moors beyond. He tried to recall exactly how he'd felt his own first time leaving camp, the thrill of an entirely new world and purpose opening up to him, but he was sure whatever remnants he managed to pull up paled in comparison to what he'd felt in the moment- what Daisypaw was probably feeling now.

The shrill giggle pulled him from his thoughts, and yellow eyes widened in surprise as his apprentice bolted out down the path carved into the snow. And while Coldsnap knew it was unlikely that there'd be a predator this close to camp, he realized in that moment that he was responsible for Daisypaw. It wasn't just about teaching her a list of things she'd need to know, but keeping her in one piece long enough to utilize it all as a warrior herself.

Again, he found himself wishing for Hyacinths guidance.

He was about to open his mouth and call her back, but she didn't actually end up getting all that far, her smaller form disapearing into a snow drift a few yards ahead. With a sigh the tom made his way over with swift steps, head shaking in a mixture of exasperations and amusement. She was going to be a pawful he could already tell.

Leaning down into the snow, he gently fastened his teeth into her scruff and lifted her out of her snowy prison, stepping back to place her in the shallow snow once more.

"Okay, first lesson; never run into unknown territory, it's asking for trouble." he said, fixing her with a stern look. This was important, something she should remember in almost any new situation she found herself in, as caution and calculation were friends to a cat facing the unknown. "The snow out here is a lot deeper than what you've seen in camp. It'd be easy for a paw as young as you to get lost in it, and while the snow looks innocent, it's a killer under a right circumstances." he warned.

Cats lost ears and toes every year from frostbite, or brought back sickness from being in the cold for too long. "You have to be smart when your outside of camp. Respect the world around you and maybe it'll respect you back." he explained, the words spoken with a serious tone, but not in anger.

Things like nature couldn't be tamed. You couldn't predict them, and you most certainly couldn't change them. Lightening would strike. Snow would fall. Rivers would flood. Predators would hunt them. These were things beyond the control of any cat, and it was important to remember that the world around them -no matter how familiar it became or what parts of it they called their own- was something to be regarded with respect and caution, for it was just as dangerous as it was beautiful.

"Come on." he said at least, offering the youth a brief smile. "Walk behind me in the trail I leave- it should be easier for you that way."

With that said he began to lead the way across the hills toward Outlook Rock, and ear turned back to keep track of the apprentice behind him.

---

windclan warrior - male - 12 months - a large, dark grey tabby with yellow eyes​

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[daisypaw ! [inact.]]

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Even though she wriggled to the best of her ability, the snow didn't seem to want to let her go until she felt teeth sinking into her scruff, plucking her out of her frosty tomb and setting her back on firm ground. Daisypaw was a little stiff, expression almost confused, as if she wasn't quite sure how to feel about the event that had just come and gone. Snow stuck to her fur awkwardly, and now she was cold. Colder.

Her mind seemingly having decided itself, her features adopted a somewhat dejected look, but she looked up when Coldsnap began to speak. His stern words and stare brought dark ears to flick back, upturned eyes growing wide, but she didn't look away. First lesson, never run out into unknown territory. Was it unknown territory? It was WindClan territory, how could it be dangerous? Her mouth parted, to voice her thoughts, but he swept on.

For a moment her gaze grew downcast, somewhat sullen, but she squared her shoulders. No, she had to listen well and be good, so she could make Echolight and Dandelionwish proud. Be smart outside of camp and be mindful of where she was. She would trust his words.

The bicolor kit shook off some of the snow that clung to her, some of it having melted and leaving patches of fur in wet spikes. "M'kay," she said at last. It was simple but genuine, a newfound conviction stirring within. "I promise m'not gonna run ahead again," she added, doing her best to sound serious.

They finally set off again, Daisypaw dutifully sticking close behind despite the remaining itch in her paws to go off and see everything the territory had to offer as fast as possible. It wasn't long before she let out a somewhat impatient hum, muzzle crinkling with thought. "Are we gonna see the whole territory today? D'ya think we could hunt too? I wanna catch a rabbit! A big fat one!" The thought was enough to send a buzz through her, hopping ahead a few paces before halting, head ducking apologetically as she fell back in line.

"I wanna be able'ta catch somethin' nice for Ma. The best ever!" Her tail lifted at the thought, her stride adopting a gleeful swagger before settling back into something more normal. ​

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